Is destiny really cruel? Can love never have a smooth path – the one where it doesn’t face any thorns of sacrifice? Aishwarya Jha’s book, The Scent Of Fallen Stars decodes the magic of love, destiny, and sacrifice. In the novel, Aria embarks on a journey to find her mother and love. Soon, she discovers her family’s dark secrets buried in the streets of Old Delhi. Will her parents’ twisted love saga scar her ideas of love or keep her hopes high?

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Read an excerpt of The Scent Of Fallen Stars here.

‘But I don’t know what I was born into. In the home there were many religions; Matron was a Christian, Teacher was a Sikh, Dayal Uncle is Hindu, Nargis Bibi is Muslim… and all the gods are very interesting, don’t you think?’

‘That’s one way of looking at it,’ I said, suppressing a smile.

‘Everyone says you have to choose,’ she continued, warming to her theme, ‘but then everyone says, “My God is great, my God is everywhere, my God sees everything…” so then how many different Gods are everything and everywhere? How is there enough space for all of them? Is there ever a cross-connection like on the phone, when you are trying to pray to one God but by mistake it goes to another one? It is so confusing!’ She ended on a note of exasperation, but the grin on my face brought one to hers.

‘I don’t know how one can choose a religion. Do you? It’s like asking someone to choose only one colour for their whole life, when there are so many different shades, which are all so beautiful. When I see the bougainvillea on our college gate, I think red is the most beautiful, but then I see a peacock dancing and I can’t imagine anything prettier than that blue – then Kalpana ma’am wears a green saree like an emerald and I think green is my favourite! How can you choose one? They look best when they are all together, don’t you think?’

The selected portion has been excerpted with permission from The Scent Of Fallen Stars by Aishwarya Jha, Penguin Viking, ₹301. You can get your copy of the book here.

About The Scent Of Fallen Stars

A dual-timeline novel, The Scent Of Fallen Stars is set between the ’90s and the present. In 1995, 36-year-old Will arrives in India after the collapse of his academic career. He tries to find a stable corporate job and a sense of belonging in Old Delhi’s expat community. His life turns upside down as he crosses paths with Leela, an ethereal beauty who unleashes passion and love in him.

After 23 years, Aria lands in New Delhi to find her mother whom she believes to be dead. In this quest, she unravels some strange mysteries about her parents’ love story. She further learns about her mother’s dark past — her orphaned childhood, dull adulthood, and her final spiritual years.

Will Aria succeed in finding her mother alive? How will she go on with the newly discovered secrets of her family?

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